Marcus Thornton joked Wednesday afternoon that the padding he's wearing to protect his injured left thigh made the Louisiana native feel like New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
Then in the fourth quarter Thursday night, Thornton took a hit like a football player when Portland forward Gerald Wallace landed on Wallace's neck in a collision under the basket.
"I was kind of woozy at first," Thornton said. "… I was saying I was ready, but I really wasn't. I was kind of wobbly."
Thornton managed to make two free throws before being examined for a concussion and neck strain.
Thornton returned and, after the Trail Blazers took a two-point lead with 6:03 to play, scored five unanswered points to help the Kings beat Portland 95-92 at Power Balance Pavilion.
The win ended the Kings' season-worst five-game losing streak.
Thornton said after the game his neck was still sore, but he was smiling in his first game back since Jan. 21. He had missed the previous four games with a hematoma in his left thigh.